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There are daily excited posts on the Daily Kos telling us about the new additions to a letter asking Senate Democrats to agree to vote for a public health insurance option through a reconciliation vote (where they only need 50).
Today's big news Maria Cantwell signed on. I'm all for positivity but this is growing to be absurd. Here is the only list that matters. With 41 Republicans you must not lose 10 Democrats.
Mark Begich Mark Pryor
Blanche Lincoln Joe Lieberman Tom Carper Bill Nelson
Evan Bayh Mary Landrieu Claire Mccaskill Jon Tester Max Baucus Ben Nelson Kay Hagan Byron Dorgan Kent Conrad
Mark Warner
Jim Webb
You gotta have 7 from this list and hold all the rest. Does anyone think that's likely or even possible? We know 6 of them are for sure nos. That leaves the 7 Public Option heroes as Begich, Baucus, McCaskill, Tester, Hagan, Dorgan and Webb?
The other conversation that none of these cheery diaries are having.
What public option would we be getting?
Good afternoon, Progressive Electorate readers. This is your afternoon open thread to discuss all things Hill-related. Use this thread to praise or bash Congresscritters, share a juicy tip, ask questions, offer critiques and suggestions, or post manifestos.
As always, this is a crosspost from CongressMatters. This is the important news of the day. Okay, maybe only some of it. So if you disagree, go watch Casual Wednesday suggestion of the public advocacy class covered on CSPAN. Or cross the Eastern Continental Divide in winter to deliver a WVU student. I was in hiding after the Gator Bowl.
Good afternoon, Progressive Electorate readers. This is your afternoon open thread to discuss all things Hill-related. Use this thread to praise or bash Congresscritters, share a juicy tip, ask questions, offer critiques and suggestions, or post manifestos.
As always, this is a crosspost from Congress Matters and I will refrain from my routine claim that this is the most important news of the day. That would be the what is happening in your own house this time of the year.
Good afternoon, Progressive Electorate readers. This is your afternoon open thread to discuss all things Hill-related. Use this thread to praise or bash Congresscritters, share a juicy tip, ask questions, offer critiques and suggestions, or post manifestos. We'll be checking in all weekend, especially if the snowpocalypse hits.
Pre- existing conditions? They are still in there, only now, instead of getting denied they get to jack the price up 3X and you'll be FORCED to buy something, and without competition who are you gonna choose? THEY WILL ALL CHARGE THE SAME CLIMBING PRICE!
Yearly caps? They are STILL IN THERE!
Death Panels? For Profit death panels, you betcha.
And loopholes, loopholes, loopholes!
I'm sorry, but Obama is NOT FDR. This is NOT the same political climate as when Social Security was passed or when Medicare was passed. Hell, this isn't even the same century!
So get over the fact that you have been TOTALLY SCREWED at this point and do something about it. This bill, as it stands, is so poisoned it should be killed and began again from the start, no matter how long and painful it might be. This CAN be dealt with in a year or two when the Conservative Wing of the Democratic part loses in droves, because that is coming one way or another.
I am PISSED, and you should be pissed too, cause we're getting SCREWED on this deal. The ONLY winners are the political class and the special interests. Consumers re getting sold down the river.
Good afternoon, Progressive Electorate readers. This is your afternoon open thread to discuss all things Hill-related. Use this thread to praise or bash Congresscritters, share a juicy tip, ask questions, or post manifestos.
The ONE Senator that I can safely say is NOT bought off, the one Senator that we can be certain is NOT owned by the banks is Bernie Sanders (I-VT). It looks like good ole Bernie is putting his left foot down on the public option and threatening a filibuster of his own if there isn't a ROBUST public option that is available to everyone in the Senate version of the health care bill.
I think this is GREAT news, and I'll explain why below the fold, where you can find a full transcript of this video as well.
Of all the screwed up things the Republican party and their Corporate Media enablers have done maybe the worst is the souring of the debate on whether President Obama is doing the right thing or not. When the "faithful" opposition in American politics is more concerned with ACORN and socialism than it is with Corproate malfeasance or the corrupt status quo, it just isn't worth debating with, but that debate is necessary and our system does worse without it.
Similarly, the left has been conditioned by the raving right to interpret ALL criticism of President Obama as an attack on him. Many on the left see activists who criticize Obama as if they were joining in on the hyperbole, and they fear that Obama, and Democratic majorities, might fall if pressure from the left and the right becomes overheated. These people are often the loudest defenders of Obama, but are they really helping his cause?
I firmly believe that we MUST, as activists and voters, be able to hold President Obama and the Democratic party accountable, otherwise they will walk all over us. In order to do this, we MUST be able to constructivly criticize our leaders, and since the right wing of American politics long ago left the reality based world, it is the left which must provide this criticism. The problem is, will others on the left allow it to happen?
Senate negotiators have decided not to include a provision revoking the insurance industry's anti-trust exemption in the bill leadership sends to the floor, said a Democratic aide close to the merger talks. Instead, the measure will be offered as an amendment on the Senate floor.
The House bill will have language ending the Insurance cartels anti-trust exemption. Why won't the Senate bill have similar language in it before it is brought to the floor for debate?
Clammy C wrote the best Lieberman diary of any I've read over at Daily Kos.
His key point to take away -
So what is the answer here? Well, unless he gets stripped of his committee leadership (won't happen), letters and protests and calls to his office won't do much. He doesn't care about any of that - and has shown that repeatedly over the years. He isn't up for re-election for another 2 years, so there is little that can be done in terms of bringing down his approval ratings any more now because we are too far away from the primaries, let alone the general election.
My thought? Make the story (for now) about him being a puppet of the insurance and healthcare industries. Now, it is a "Lieberman goes against the Democrats" storyline. It should be "Lieberman sells out Americans for millions in health care political contributions" or "Lieberman sells his vote and sells out Americans to insurance industry".
Or, even better, some better dirt could be dug up - he has been around for decades and has screwed over too many people for him to NOT have major skeletons in his closet.
He is in it for himself and himself only. Make him so toxic that anyone who stands by him or allows him to continue his shameless behavior will be tainted by him.
What are your thoughts? I think this is as dead spot on as we will get on the Lieberman issue. We have no control over him - calls and letters will not work.
Great day. Slept in till almost noon. Watched the Detroit Lions get creamed once again. Visited with family. Ate. Ate some more and now relaxing. The wife is trying to get me to go shopping for some of the super duper 5 a.m super savings deals. I am trying to figure out a reasonable excuse.
Anyways, can somebody please explain why the Detroit Lions as miserable as they can be still remain a Thanksgiving tradition. That 0-12 football team is the worst football team I've ever seen. And I mean it when I say that a mediocre college team could make them look bad.
No, I don't have any "extra" tickets for the inauguration. I hope that sounds firm while at the same time not being smarmy. I have not even asked any of my "contacts in high places" for tickets to the events. While I would certainly like to attend, I also am a realist and realize that lines will be long, the Metro will be crowded and I probably would hear little of the swearing in ceremony. Disregard the fact that I am not particularly fond of Washington D.C. weather in mid January. Now if anyone wants to pay for me to blog the historic events I am all ears and would certainly bundle up. So that being said, feel free to start a send Martin W to the inauguration fund.
What else is going on today you might ask. Well let me tell you what else is going on in the world.
John McCain appeared for 2,000 folks in Cobb County yesterday to sing his praises for Saxby Chambliss. I'm not sure he had 2,000 people at one of his own rallies.
Well apparently Zell Miller (I thought I would never have to write about him) came out of retirement and the mountains to urge Georgia faithful to vote for Saxby.
"It's good to be among you again," Miller told the crowd, which cheered its approval. "It is critical that we keep Saxby's voice and vote in Washington."
Miller said Chambliss could be the "last man standing" in front of a "far-left agenda" that Martin wants to help the Obama administration push. He zeroed-in on Obama's pledge to increase taxes on higher-income Americans and give tax breaks to most others.
"To steal from Peter to pay Paul, even if it gets Paul to vote for you, is wrong, wrong, wrong," Miller said.
Remind me why Zell Miller was a Democrat. Or am I dreaming that he ever was?
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